Communism: Its Rise and Fall In the 20th Century

Traces the history of Communism from the Russian Revolution to the fall of the Berlin Wall

This commemorative collection of short articles from The Christian Science Monitor from September 1911 to July 1990 features an impressive list of journalists and articles (W.H. Chamberlin, Marshal Goldman, a Pulitzer Prize series). Unfortunately, the short length of the pieces only whets the appetite for more detailed analysis. In addition to large gaps in the coverage (e.g., June 1941 when Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the Berlin and Cuban crises), the book's title is somewhat misleading. It focuses almost entirely on the Soviet Union; Communism in Asia and Latin America is left untouched. In spite of these shortcomings, this is a fascinating snapshot anthology that all readers will find very hard to put down. Recommended for general collections.
- John J. Yurechko, Georgetown Univ., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.